


Pretty Lies

by Amber_Flicker



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Unhealthy Relationships, Wells is a manipulative bastard, a little bit purple-prose, aaaand just a dash of self loathing, self hatred, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 03:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5442446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amber_Flicker/pseuds/Amber_Flicker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smiles never reached his eyes, real emotion never filling his voice, not giving himself with the ardency that Hartley had. But he let himself be controlled, be told beautiful lies because he needed it, needed the attention like air.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pretty Lies

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Pretty Lies 漂亮謊言](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8564491) by [jls20011425](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jls20011425/pseuds/jls20011425)



After his parents had disowned him Harrison Wells had been the only person willing to give him a job. No one else could see how brilliant he was, only prejudiced against him because of all the stuff in the news, of being afraid his former family would destroy them if they tried to help. But Wells didn't care about any of that, just cared that he could do his job. That he could keep up in conversation with him. That he would do anything for him.

It wasn't surprising then, that he'd gotten attached, maybe too much. Definitely too much. Hartley had never wanted to please someone as much as he wanted to please Wells, and it consumed his life, his every action. He told himself it was just because he needed the money, but under that he knew it was more. 

Then the entire dynamic of their relationship began to shift, until one day Wells kissed him, growing more and more heated until they left S.T.A.R Labs, seeing his boss's house for the first time, barely caring until after they'd fucked. Not realizing what this was going to do to him. They did it again and again, Hartley in far too deep to back out now even if wanted to. For one he'd get fired(Harrison had never said it out loud but the threat was looming), and he'd grown far too dependent on Wells. He might just fall apart if he left now. He felt safer with the man.

By day they worked together and by night they were lovers. Wells would do little things like bring him coffee and compliment his work on the particle accelerator, small touches and smiles and later Hartley would curse himself for not realizing how he was being manipulated in the perfect, mindlessly obedient helper Wells wanted. The smiles never reached his eyes, real emotion never filling his voice, not giving himself with the ardency that Hartley had. But he let himself be controlled, be told beautiful lies because he needed it, needed the attention like air. Fake affections were better than none. 

When Cisco Ramon came he felt threatened. It seemed like Wells was treating Cisco exactly how he had treated Hartley at the beginning, and even giving some of the same looks to the other man. And goddamnit he felt inferior. For all his smarts, all his knowledge, he was shit with people, bad at conversations not involving science, but Cisco could do that. He was just as smart and he could be sociable and with the way Wells was acting, how they were spending less time together, he was afraid he was going to be dropped like the worthless human being he was and Wells would move on to Cisco. To someone better.

He found the issue with the accelerator and thought if he brought that to Wells' attention, proved he was still the best, then maybe it would be fine. But it didn't turn out like that.

"You- You promised you'd never do this to me." Hartley said, voice quiet.

"People lie, Hartley. You of all people should know that." Fucking hell, he didn't even care about what he was doing.

" _I love you._ "

"I'm sorry you took it for more than it was, but that's not my fault. I never loved you back."

"I'm never going to forgive you for this. I swear to god i'll murder you." Anger and betrayal clouded his words. 

"Goodbye, Mr. Rathaway."

And then he was being dragged away, led through the halls as people stared, as he tried desperately to keep his emotional pain off his face until he was out of their sight. He hated himself for falling for the lies, for believing anyone could actually love him as much as he loved them. He was going to rid the world of Harrison Wells, and he'd never be able to hurt anyone again.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing I needed to get out of my system. Pretty sure everyone's written some variation on this and this is probably the worst :P ~~I finished this in less than an hour and only went over it once and am honestly seriously debating posting it...~~
> 
> Find me at http://cliches-and-coffee.tumblr.com/ and feel free to rant at me about fandoms or drop off a prompt.


End file.
